The CHERISH model is an epidemiological research study that aims to understand the causes and consequences of childhood socioeconomic inequalities in health and well-being in Europe.
The CHERISH model examines the socioeconomic gradient in health and well-being across the entire distribution of childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) in eight European countries, using data from the Growing Up in _________(GUI) cohorts (in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and UK).
Its main research questions are:
- What are the main socio-economic factors that affect health inequalities in children throughout Europe?
- How do social-economic factors and contextual factors combine to produce health inequalities?
- What do the results of these comparisons show about the causes of health inequalities in childhood?
- How do socio-economic inequalities in health during childhood persist into adulthood?
The CHERISH model examines a wide range of childhood health outcomes including physical, psychological and mental illnesses and disabilities, as well as health-related behaviours and social development.
The CHERISH model also aims to understand the mediating role of psychosocial and behavioural factors, and to identify specific groups of children who are particularly vulnerable to inequalities.
The findings from the CHERISH model will contribute to the development of policies and interventions aimed at reducing childhood health inequalities in Europe.